Top Camping Spots near Washington, DC

Camping is an affordable way to travel, leaving more money for sightseeing, at these top camping experiences in Virginia and Maryland.

Camping on Mount Rogers, Virginia's highest peak

One of four Blue Ridge Parkway campgrounds in Virginia, Otter Creek has sites for 42 tents and 26 RVs.

Maryland’s Assateague Island Nation Seashore features rustic beauty throughout the park, including its oceanside and bayside camping areas.

Primland takes childhood fantasies to a new level with the resort's luxurious, private treehouses.

Shenandoah National Park and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests offer more than 1,500 miles of trails for backpacking adventures.

RV campgrounds throughout the region offer resort-style amenities, such as cable television.

Gathering around a crackling campfire, pitching a tent under the stars and letting the calls of the wild lull you to sleep are just a few of the reasons to love camping. Here in the Capital Region, you can camp on beaches, by lakes and rivers, in wooded campgrounds or off-trail atop a mountain with scenic views. And there are as many options for how to camp as there are scenic spots to do it.

Go primitive with a backpacking trip, get cosy in a cabin, rule the road in an RV or live the life of luxury with a glamourous camping trip, also known as “glamping.” Here are our suggestions for six great camping experiences in the Capital Region:

1. Your Own Personal Treehouse

Primland, a luxury resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, takes childhood fantasies to a new level. The resort’s three private luxury treehouses are perched in sturdy oak trees and feature stunning mountain views, plus nightly turn-down service, a soaking tub and your own four-wheel drive vehicle to travel to and from the resort’s lodge. Primland is also home to its own observatory dome, from which visitors can explore the night skies via telescope.

3. Beach Camping in Maryland

Fall asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing and be the first person on the beach for seashell hunting the next morning when you book a site at one of the region’s beach campgrounds. Maryland’s Assateague Island National Seashore features rustic beauty throughout the park and in its oceanside and bayside camping areas. Enjoy swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and exploring the park’s 37 miles of trails by foot or bicycle. Or take a trip to Ocean City, a popular beach town just 9 miles from Assateague Island.

5. Virginia Mountaintop Cabin with a Private Chef

Book the two-story Rock-N-Creek Cabin at Montebello in Virginia, and you’ll be treated to a private chef. Located atop one of the highest ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the region’s National Scenic Byways, the cabin offers spectacular views of the mountains and the Tye River. Let your host fully equip your kitchen, or take advantage of the private chef services from former presidential chef Richard Christy.

6. Camping Near Washington, DC

If you want to spend time touring Washington, DC but still want to experience the joy of camping, book a site at Cherry Hill Park – the closest campground to the nation’s capital. Cherry Hill rents cottages, trailers, cabins and yurts, as well as tent and RV sites. Amenities include two swimming pools, a hot tub and a sauna.

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